GASTON, S.C. - To look at 6-year-old Clay Dixon, he appears the same as he did four months ago when he was first diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor.

However, now he’s sporting a Mohawk haircut.

So is his dad, Johnnie.

So is his 8-year-old brother, Jacob.

So are some of his friends.

“We knew he’d eventually start losing his hair, so we decided to cut it for the summer,” Clay’s mother, Cathy Dixon, says. “He thinks it’s cool.”

Following six rounds of chemotherapy, the cheerful patient has not displayed any noticeable physical changes.

“He has not lost any of his motor skills, although at times one side of his mouth appears drawn,” Mrs. Dixon said. “Depending on which combination of chemo he gets, he may or may not experience nausea. Occasionally, fatigue limits the time he can spend at school.”

The first-grader is scheduled for a follow-up MRI next month to determine the success of the chemo and determine if the tumor has shrunk or not.

Clay is looking forward to attending Camp Kemo this summer.

Even though his parents are concerned about their son wanting to spend time in the lake, he offers this reassuring response.

“I can do it,” he says. “Besides, I’ve swam in the deepest part of the ocean.”

T&D Correspondent Rendy Boland can be reached with comments or story ideas by phone at 803-535-2222.

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